Key river bridge at St. Louis soon may close for repairs

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A bridge spanning the Mississippi River between East St. Louis and St. Louis may close soon for several months for upgrades.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the 64-year-old Martin Luther King Bridge tentatively may shut down from July 6 through Nov. 24 so new decks can be built.

But that timeline depends on westbound lanes of the Poplar Street Bridge being reopened, and that may not happen until mid-July because of rain-related delays. Two of those lanes are to open in early July.

The Illinois Department of Transportation says the upgrades on the Martin Luther King Bridge will cost about $16 million.